Name: Robert White Murdoch

Nickname: "Chopper"



Country: Scotland
Club: Celtic F.C.
Position: *DMF, CMF
Side: RF/BS
Age: 21-26 years (17/8/1944)

Height: 180 cm
Weight: 77 kg

Attack: 75
Defence: 77
Balance: 85
Stamina: 83
Top Speed: 74
Acceleration: 76
Response: 80
Agility: 73
Dribble Accuracy: 79
Dribble Speed: 76
Short Pass Accuracy: 84
Short Pass Speed: 78
Long Pass Accuracy: 88
Long Pass Speed: 79
Shot Accuracy: 80
Shot Power: 88
Shot Technique: 77
Free Kick Accuracy: 66
Curling: 75
Header: 80
Jump: 74
Technique: 83
Aggression: 75
Mentality: 87
Goalkeeper Skills: 50
Team Work: 90

Injury Tolerance: B
Condition/Fitness: 6
Weak Foot Accuracy: 7
Weak Foot Frequency: 7
Consistency: 7
Growth type: Early/Lasting

CARDS:
P06 - Pinpoint Pass
P11 - Long Ranger
S02 - Passer
S09 - Covering

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Passing - Middle Shooting - Centre - Covering

Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Balanced


INFO:

Probably the most underrated of the Lisbon Lions and one of the best ever Scottish midfielders. Murdoch was a fantastic right half and the engine of the team that made history in 1967, he kept everything ticking in the midfield, doing any job that was needed including tough tackling, beautiful long passing and regular goal scoring. It's no surprise that every member of the Lisbon Lions, including manager Jock Stein, considered him the best player in the team. Murdoch played at a walking pace, never the most mobile of players, but he could completely control a game in the most subtle of ways. Despite being the deepest lying midfielder in the team, he managed to score 101 goals for Celtic in just under 500 games, and an impressive 6 goals in only 12 Scotland caps (an insultingly low number of games, even despite the competition with Billy Bremner for a place). This was mostly because of his powerful shot and his good movement, often arriving late at the edge of the box and smashing it home, most famously to vanquish Leeds in the legendary "Battle of Britain" in 1970. In the 1967 European Cup final his favoured right foot was injured, so being the two footed player he was, he proceeded to dominate the virtually non-existent Inter midfield using only his left foot. He would use that left foot to smash in the shot that Stevie Chalmers turned into the net to win the trophy for Celtic. His long passing was particularly notable: Jack Charlton remarking that he could drop the ball on a coin from any distance. On top of his skill as a player was a remarkable mental fortitude, always standing up for his teammates and not being afraid of anybody. At the same time a formidable opponent and an exemplary teammate.

In his last few seasons at Celtic, Murdoch started suffering from weight problems and knee injuries, which forced him to miss games. His absence was felt dearly, and not even the extremely talented Davie Hay and George Connelly could fill the gap. Even despite playing in 2 European Cup finals and all the praise from friends and foes alike, Murdoch's talents seem to fly under the radar in comparison to teammates Johnstone and McNeill. Bobby was possibly the single most important player in the greatest team in Scottish history, and it's a real shame he isn't often recognised as such.